Landmarks

WHEREAS, The Empire State Building is an individual landmark famous throughout the world, with a designated interior lobby; and

WHEREAS, Its Art Deco style office building lobby was designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon and built in l930 -193l, with the lobby walls, floors, and ceiling all protected surfaces; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five approved a security plan for renovating the lobby in June 2002 in the wake of possible threats to New York City Landmarks after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and

WHEREAS, The owners and their architects have developed a Master Plan for further renovations to the lobby and certain other areas of the ground floor of the building; and

WHEREAS, The Master Plan includes the removal of four original Building Directories, since the owners contend that their use has been rendered obsolete by new technologies and they are costly to maintain and update; and

WHEREAS, These Directories are deemed important elements of the original lobby design; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of the removal of the four Building Directories.

The above resolution passed with a vote of 29 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention, 1 present not entitled to vote.